Hotaru's Knight
by C.Queen
Summary: Accidents keep happening since the new guys arrived. Can the Sailor Scouts figure out what's going on? And How does Hotaru & Ami know them? Romance in the air?
1. He's Come

****Note: I don't own Sailor Moon or any of its characters. The only thing that's mine is the crazy plot and Damien, Eli, Sess and the other few added minor characters. I'm not a big SS fan so I will probably make some mistakes so please let me know so that I can correct. Also its imperative that you review and give me ideas because I probably don't know enough to make this the great story it could be. So please review and give me a hand. Thanks and enjoy.****  
  
Chapter One Knight In Shining Armor  
  
"So how do you think you did on that test Hotaru?" Rini asked with a sunny smile as she walked happily beside her quiet best friend as they left the school grounds after a long hard day of high school. Hotaru had been studying for the math test all week long and Rini was glad it was over so that Hotaru could relax. Her friend wanted to be a doctor so test scores were very important to her. "I heard that question eight was a real killer. Personally I think Mr. Shimitho should be fired for working you guys so hard. The guy's psycho."  
  
"Ya it was hard but it was suppose to be. Though he is rather hard on us." Hotaru agreed with a faint smile as she moved out of the way as two blonde cheerleaders went bouncing by. "So what time do you have to be home today Rini? Didn't you say you were going somewhere after school?"  
  
"Oh ya, geez I almost forgot about that. Serena found this really cool old antique place and she suggested I go check it out seeing as I want to redo my room. Good thing you reminded me." Rini asked smacking her forehead while she rolled her eyes as though she'd just forgotten that most important thing in the world. "Wanna come?"  
  
"Okay." Hotaru said with a wider smile at her friend's antics as they walked onto the sidewalk with their fellow students leaving the school walked around them on their way out. "Where is the store? I have to be home before six today." She added just in case.  
  
"Its only three blocks away from here, near Mitto's ice cream store." Rini said motioning to the right. "So are you going to come?"  
  
Nodding her agreement Hotaru and Rini started down the street talking happily about the day and what they might find at the store to spend their money on. The two young girls made a charming picture as they walked arm and arm down the street while the sun shone down from a bright blue sky. One with long bright pink hair and an equally bright personality, happiness and humor shining from her face as they walked by. The other was taller and slimmer with slight past shoulder length black hair and a quiet look to her that made her appear frail. She almost blended in with what was around her and if it wasn't for her beautiful looks she might have been successful in blending in with the scenery.  
  
  
  
  
  
"So what are you doing this weekend Hotaru?" Rini asked after they'd finished chattering away about their day and teachers, while waving at a schoolmate who was walking by. " Got a hot date?" she asked fluttering her eyelashes exaggeratedly.  
  
"Nooooooo." Hotaru said with a fine blush spreading over her face. She didn't date period and Rini knew it. Hotaru was far too shy around boys and she didn't have the kind of personality that Rini had. Rini attracted people where ever she went. They were opposites who balanced each other out well.  
  
"Want me to fix you up with someone? I know just the guy." Rini said hopefully though she already knew the answer would be a quiet no. No matter what she did she just couldn't seem to get Hotaru interested in dating guys. Too busy reading and studying.  
  
"No thanks Rini, but thank you for the thought anyway." Hotaru said with another quiet smile, her cheeks still slightly pink which only made her look more beautiful. Having such pale skin was a curse Hotaru thought with a sigh as she placed a hand on her burning cheeks. Just then she felt a large hand on her lower back, which before she could even register it pushed her forward towards the edge of the sidewalk. With a cry Hotaru lost her balance, falling off the sidewalk and rolled right into oncoming traffic before she even had time to process the fact that she'd been pushed deliberately.  
  
"Hotaru!!!!!" Rini yelled out in complete terror as the crowd prevented her from getting to her friend. "Look out." Frozen in fear Hotaru didn't even have time to scream as she saw the large car about to hit her.  
  
  
  
  
  
In that split second Hotaru put her hands in front of her face and prayed with all her might for life to be spared. As if someone had heard instead of the feel of the large car hitting her Hotaru felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist and with a lunge throw them both safely back onto the sidewalk on the other side of the road. Feeling him twist in mid air Hotaru held on tight as they hit the concrete with a thud and went rolling till they stopped in the middle of the large crowd that had watched on with horror. Still in shock all she could do was lay in the protective circle of the arms like a child's rag doll, feeling nothing but the arms holding her tightly to him as though they'd never let her go. Finally coming to her senses she looked down at the man the arms were attached to and felt as though she'd just been hit by a bolt of electricity. He had deliberately twisted at the last second so that he'd take the brute of the fall and their was a slight look of pain in his deep brown eyes when he looked up at her with an almost eerie looking. Staring into them Hotaru could do nothing but gaze into the eyes who seemed locked to hers as well, like they had both been caught under some sort of spell. Feeling her heart beating rapidly she blushed bright red when she realized she was laying on top of a strange man in the middle of a busy sidewalk. Slowly she became aware of Rini standing beside them calling her name. Looking up Hotaru shakily got to her feet and was instantly engulfed in a huge hug.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Oh Hotaru I thought you were going to...I thought.. oh Hotaru." Rini cried holding her friend tightly. "Are you hurt? Are you sure you should be getting up? Do you need an ambulance?"  
  
"I'm fine Rini, but he might need help." Hotaru said before turning to look at her savior who'd also gotten to his feet with the help of a shopper. "Are you okay?" Hotaru asked blushing still as she looked at him shyly. He had short dark blue hair, the build of a football player and judging from all the sighing females around him they agreed that he was an absolutely gorgeous example of the male species.  
  
"Nothing a little time won't cure. You're all right though." He said with concern written on his face. Blushing even more now Hotaru nodded.  
  
"Thanks to you." Rini said with a huge smile. Running over she threw her arms around the startled man and placed a big kiss on his cheek. "Thank you so much for saving her."  
  
"No problem." The man said with a grin.  
  
"Thank you." Hotaru said shyly coming closer. "You saved my life."  
  
"It was my pleasure." The man said and Hotaru had the strangest feeling that they'd met before. The way he looked at her, as though he couldn't look away stirred feelings she couldn't begin to understand. All she could understand was that somehow she knew him.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Have we met before?" Hotaru asked unconsciously stepping closer and closer to him. "I have the strangest feeling we've met before.  
  
"Maybe once upon a dream?" The man said with a grin that made her legs feel like Jell-O. "You certainly could be the girl of my dreams."  
  
Blushing madly Hotaru felt her entire face turn red. Never had a good looking boy ever paid her so much attention, and he looked like he really meant what he'd said too.  
  
"I'd better get going, I'm suppose to be meeting a friend shortly. He hates being kept waiting. So I'm afraid I'll have to say good-bye. I hope I see you two again sometime." Nodding in Hotaru direction he smiled and then headed down the street, not bothering to acknowledge the applause he was getting. Waving good-bye he turned back once to return the wave before continuing on his way.  
  
"He's the best looking super hero I've ever seen." Rini said with a giggle as she watched the handsome hero melt into the crowd. "He can save me any day."  
  
"Well next time I'd prefer not to be about to get hit by a car." Hotaru said with an unusual grin.  
  
"You should have seen the way he moved, like a cat pouncing on his prey. He had you in his arms and off the road like that." Rini said snapping her fingers. "I didn't even see him, it was like he came out of no where. Like a guardian angel or something."  
  
"Well whoever he was I owe him my life." Hotaru said staring off into the distance where he had disappeared into the crowd.  
  
  
  
  
  
Damien shook his head as he made his way down the street keeping his eyes out for any signs of trouble. Boy he'd been on earth twenty minutes max and already he might have accidentally changed the course of history. Trisha isn't going to be happy about this he thought with a groan as he headed away from the cheering crowd and Hotaru. Definitely away from Hotaru. When they'd been lying there on the sidewalk Eli could have killed them both and he would have been to busy staring at her to have even noticed. And damn but he had no way of knowing whether or not Eli had caused the near car accident or it had just been an ordinary accident that hadn't posed a real danger. But he hadn't even thought about that when he'd seen her go crashing in front of the car which was not good. Because all he'd seen was Hotaru in trouble and he'd reacted instinctively. And I'm going to pay for it big time he added with another silent groan of pain. Not only was Sess going to give him a lecture but his back felt like the car had actually hit him. He'd hit the pavement pretty hard and he knew with a sinking feeling that after he met up with Sess their next stop would be to the doctor's.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Is there a reason you look like you just got hit by a bus?" Damien smiled faintly as Sess appeared beside him as though from thin air. His friend loved to sneak up on people and was always disappointed when he was caught so Damien didn't mention he'd seen him coming before he'd spoken. Looking over at his grinning friend Damien smiled at the irony of his friend's words.  
  
"Do I?"  
  
"The last time I saw you look like this was the time you got hit in the head with that baseball." Sess said with a grin. He'd been the one who'd hit the ball. He hadn't meant for it to hit his friend. Scout's honor.  
  
"Actually it was a sidewalk in this case." Damien said with a low groan. "The baseball was peanuts compared to this."  
  
"How do you get hit with a sidewalk?" Sess asked with a smirk as he carelessly brushed his green bangs out of his blue eyes. "Last time I checked that wasn't what they were meant to do."  
  
"You were dropped on your head as a child weren't you?" Damien said with a fake look of pity that made his friend chuckle.  
  
"No more then you." Sess shot back as he zipped up his jacket a little more. Though it would soon be summer their was still a slight nip in the air and Sess was definitely not a wintery kind of person.  
  
"I kinda hit the sidewalk." Damien said with a rather sheepish smile. "By any chance would you know if Hotaru was ever hit by a car around this time period?"  
  
"You would no that better then me." Damien said with a suspicious look. "But as far as I know she didn't. Why do you ask?"  
  
  
  
  
  
"Because the reason I hit the sidewalk was because I was saving her from being hit by a very nice Ferrari." Damien said with a half smile.  
  
"Eli?" Sess said staring at him intently. "You'd think he could do better then to simply push her in front of a car. Then again he wouldn't be strong enough to do anything major yet." he added thoughtfully as he thought it over.  
  
"I don't know, I didn't see it." Damien said with a shrug then groaned at the reaction his body had to the movement. "I just saw her about to be hit and reacted." he added knowing Sess wouldn't be happy  
  
"You do realize that while we're here on earth we can't interfere in any way with what's going on down here. We're here to stop Eli, not help the Sailor Scouts or protect them from potential harm caused by anything other then Eli. If we do anything along those lines who knows what it would do to the timeline. One small thing could result in a multiple consequences. " Sess added with a serious look that said he meant business. "You probably got lucky this time but it can't happen again."  
  
'I know Sess. It won't happen again." Damien said with a serious look. So much was at stake here, he couldn't afford to screw up. Heaving a sigh he tried to lighten the mood " If it's any consolation I don't think my back could take it any way."  
  
"For Hotaru your back would take anything." Sess said with a grin. "And that's going to be a problem." Damien knew that his friend was absolutely right. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her, nothing. And yet in order to do what was right and complete their mission, he wasn't allowed to protect her. He had to stay on the side lines and try to remember that she wouldn't be killed.  
  
"I know what I must do Sess. To much rides on this for me not to. But I swear if I see one guy hitting on her he's toast, and that's that." Damien said with a serious look of his own as he stopped in front of a medical clinic.  
  
"Need a doctor?" Sess asked sympathetically as he read the sign over the front door.  
  
"Badly." Damien said as he headed for the door with Sess at his heels.  
  
  
  
***Well what did you think? Should I continue? Did it suck? Any suggestions on how to improve or continue. Please review with your answers and if you like I'll continue to post. Hope to hear from you and thanks for reading it.**** 


	2. After The Accident

Not An Accident  
  
Note: Again I don't own anything but some of the characters and the story line. As to SS I meant Sailor Scouts just in case you didn't know. Thanks for reading and hope you'll review this latest chapter as well.  
  
  
  
"You would not believe what happened today Ami." Rini said as she entered her friend's backyard with Hotaru in tow. "Oh hey guys, Ami's mom didn't mention you were here too." She added as she saw the other scouts sitting on the back deck.  
  
"Hey Rini, weren't you going to that store I told you about today?" Serena asked raising an eyebrow. "Hi Hotaru." She added with a warm smile for her daughter's friend. Hotaru was basically part of the family now.  
  
"Yea we were but we had a slight accident on the way and so we came here to..mummf." Rini said as she felt Hotaru's hand go over her mouth to keep her from continuing.  
  
"We didn't realize you had company Ami, we'll come back later when your not busy." Hotaru said as she slowly pulled Rini back the way they came not wanting Michelle, Trisha or especially Amara to see or hear about her shoulder. She hadn't realized until after the shock had worn off that her right shoulder really hurt and so they'd come to get Ami to fix it. She should have figured that one or more of the other scouts would be there too.  
  
"But Ami should take a look at your shoulder Hotaru, that's why we're here remember, to get her to look at it for you." Rini said digging in her heels after Hotaru had removed her hand from her mouth. Damn Hotaru thought as she saw the concern written on her guardians faces.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Your hurt?" Amara demanded rushing over to her side and began to look her over carefully for any visible injury. "What happened to you? How badly were you hurt?"  
  
"Nothing really, its really just a scratch. Nothing to worry about, Rini's exaggerating." Hotaru said weakly as she smiled up at her winningly. "I'll be fine, right Rini?"  
  
"Well I still think you should let Ami look at it, you hit the pavement pretty hard though he did take the brute of it." Rini said thoughtfully. "But you were wincing before and its better safe then sorry right?"  
  
"Did you fall Hotaru?" Mina said with concern. Hotaru had always been the weakest of them all and they'd all become really protective of her.  
  
"And who's he?" Lita asked curiously as she watched Hotaru blush at the question. So the plot thickens.  
  
"I almost got hit by a car." Hotaru said knowing it was better if she was the one to tell them as oppose to Rini. They just needed to know the bare facts after all, they didn't need to know every single detail. "I think someone pushed me while Rini and I were walking to the antique store. I fell into traffic and was almost hit. I'm okay though, nothing to worry about, promise ."  
  
"You were almost hit by a car? SOMEONE PUSHED YOU IN FRONT OF A CAR!!!" Amara yelled looking like she was going to blow a blood vessel at any moment. "Whoever pushed you is a dead man as of now. When I get through with him his own mother won't recognize him!"  
  
"Oh Hotaru." Michelle said rushing over to hug Hotaru tightly to her as she fought the urge to follow Amara's lead and let loose her anger. What if the car hadn't been able to avoid hitting her, she could have been seriously hurt or killed. "Thank god the car stopped in time."  
  
"It didn't." Rini said with a shake of her head. "A really cute guy ran onto the road and saved her. It was just like one of those super hero shows. He came out of no where and got her to the other side before the car zoomed past. "  
  
"Really? Who was this dashing hero?" Rei asked as she joined the others in coming over to make sure for themselves that Hotaru was okay.  
  
"I don't know, I've never seen him before." Hotaru said with a shrug then grimaced slightly at her shoulder's reaction. It really hurt and she really should get Ami to look at it.  
  
"You are hurt, lets get you inside and I'll have a look at your shoulder." Ami said with a voice that bore no argument.  
  
"It's really not that bad." Hotaru said even though she knew it was hopeless as she followed Ami into the house. "It's just a small scrape."  
  
  
  
  
  
"Well considering what kind of injuries you could have sustained its not that bad." Ami said as she finished wrapping the gauze around Hotaru's shoulder to keep it clean. "Too tight?"  
  
"No that's good, thanks Ami." Hotaru said with a warm smile as she silently thanked her for putting her guardians at ease about the shoulder. Amara hadn't quit pacing since Ami had commented that her shoulder must really hurt and Hotaru was thankful when Ami, noticing Amara's reaction to that news and had quickly began to downplay the wound. It hadn't been that bad anyway and Ami had just had to clean it and but some cream on it to help with the pain.  
  
"Now you said you were pushed Hotaru? That you didn't just fall on the road." Luna asked having waited until Ami was done before asking her questions. "Are you sure you weren't bumped Hotaru. It might have been an accident."  
  
"I felt someone put their hand on my back and push Luna." Hotaru said looking down at the small black cat with a puzzled look. "But I guess it could have been an accident, after all why would someone do such a thing? It probably was just an accident." Hotaru said quickly because that's what she hoped it was. She didn't want to believe it had been on purpose.  
  
"But the crowds weren't bad Hotaru." Rini argued as she shook her head quickly sending her pink curls flying. "And no one came up and apologized for bumping into you or showed any guilt. And besides the way you flew onto the road it would've had to have been a pretty hard bump."  
  
"Did you see anything Rini, anything at all that might give us a hint as to who did it?" Michelle asked as she moved to stand beside Hotaru with Amara firmly planted on the other side. Like a family Ami thought with a smile.  
  
"No, it happened so quickly. One minute we were walking down Elm street and the next she was flying forward and onto the road. I tried to get to her but people were in the way. If he hadn't been so quick and saved her she might have been killed." Rini said her eyes tearing up at the thought of losing her best friend.  
  
"Did the guy who rescued you mention seeing anything? Maybe he saw something." Ami asked as she packed up the First Aid kit. "If he was close enough to get to her in time then maybe he was close enough to see you was responsible."  
  
"No he didn't mention seeing anything. But then again he was kinda busy staring into Hotaru's eyes so maybe he didn't think to mention it." Rini said with a giggle as she rubbed the tears out of her eyes at the thought. Maybe she'd finally found Hotaru the perfect guy.  
  
"He was not." Hotaru said hotly as she turned pink again. She really had to learn to control her blushing, it gave her away every time. "And I'm sure he would have said something if he'd seen who was responsible."  
  
"So how cute was this boy Rini?" Mina asked teasingly as she smiled at Hotaru who only blushed more at the question.  
  
"Oh he was cute." Rini said with a dreamy look in her eye. "He has dark blue hair and beautiful milk chocolate brown eyes. Oh and he has a build that would put a football player to shame." She added with a sigh.  
  
"Sounds dreamy." Serena said with a grin. "Maybe it started out bad but your luck obviously changed for the better real quick."  
  
"Hands off meatball head, your already taken. Exactly how old is he?" Rei asked with a sweet smile as she turned back to Rini. The town was in short supply of good men and any man who fit Rini's description was definitely worth consideration.  
  
"I don't know." Rini said with another shrug as she thought about it. "I've never seen him before either. He's probably closer to your age though. He struck me as being around there but there was something about him that made him seem older, I don't know what it was."  
  
  
  
"It wasn't an accident, she was pushed in front of that car." Trisha said as she entered the room with a very serious expression. She had left Hotaru in the others hands while she consulted the past to see exactly what had happened. What she'd found out was not good news. It had been deliberate and she had no idea who was responsible, only that he was very powerful.  
  
"Who would do such a thing? Why would anyone want to harm her?" Michelle said placing a comforting arm on Hotaru shoulder while placing her other hand into Amara's. She couldn't imagine why anyone would want to hurt her little girl. Everyone loved Hotaru, who would wish her harm.  
  
"I couldn't see him clearly, it was almost as if he were in a fog or had somehow managed to blur his features. But I'm sure the accident was intentional. He meant to push Hotaru onto the road, he was trying to harm her and would have succeeded if that young man hadn't intervene and got her off the road. The way that car came at her she probably wouldn't have lived if it had hit her." Trisha said solemnly. "Your one very lucky girl Hotaru."  
  
"Well whoever he is he's a dead man. No one tries to harm Hotaru and gets away with it" Amara said hotly already picturing what she'd do to this guy for harming her little girl. He was going to pay big time whoever he was. He was going to pay in blood if it was the last thing she did.  
  
"But why would he want to hurt me?" Hotaru said shuddering slightly at Trisha's words. She could have been killed! Who would want to harm her?  
  
"Who knows. He got out of there as soon as he'd seen you hit the ground, he disappeared into the crowd like a chameleon changes to fit its environment. The young man should be all right as well though he'll probably be in a fair amount of pain tomorrow." Trisha said with a wry look.  
  
  
  
  
  
"But he said he was okay." Hotaru said in distress. She didn't want him to have been hurt saving her. "How badly was he hurt? He seemed fine when he left."  
  
"From what I could see his back took some scraping and he pulled a muscle or two. He was really lucky too, he took most of the beating from the fall." Trisha said with a reassuring smile. "He'll be fine."  
  
"You're sure?" Hotaru said with an unsure smile. If that was all then he was okay, he'd be fine. For some reason the thought of her hero being hurt in any way was distressing.  
  
"She said he was fine Hotaru." Amara said calmly though she didn't like the look on Hotaru's face. Like she really cared about this guy. But that was silly Amara told herself, they'd just met.  
  
"Well I think that we should keep an eye out for this guy. He might come after Hotaru later or one of us. We should all be on our guard." Rei said seriously. "Just to be safe."  
  
"I think your right. We should all be on alert." Amara said with a nod of her head. "Hotaru, your not to go out alone anywhere."  
  
"Okay Amara." Hotaru said knowing that she was probably right, like Rini had said, it was better to be safe then sorry.  
  
  
  
Later that night Hotaru lay down and went to sleep, hoping that she wouldn't dream of her accident and what could have happened.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
She stood on the balcony looking out at the clear, night sky. There was a slight breeze that ruffled her long black hair and sent her long white skirts swaying in the wind and around her ankles. Pushing a few strands of her hair behind her ear Hotaru watched the stars twinkle in the far off sky and dreamily listened to the tinkling sound of the marble fountain that stood in the gardens below. Smiling softly to herself Hotaru waited in the moonlight for him to come. She didn't have long to wait as he soundlessly stood in the doorway of her bedroom.  
  
'Well if it isn't the most beautiful Firefly in the galaxy." Smiling even wider Hotaru kept her back turned as she waited for him to come to her. Had it been any other man she would have turned around and shyly answered him. But this was him and with him she had the confidence she normally lacked.  
  
"Watching the stars?" He asked, this time from her side. He moves so silently she thought with a smile, he hadn't made a sound as he'd made his way from the doorway to her side.  
  
"Waiting for you." Hotaru said coyly looking up at him with a half smile. "Took you long enough."  
  
"Well I apologies but I'm afraid that Amara wasn't in a hurry to let me get away. If I didn't know any better I'd think that she was trying to keep me away from you." He replied with a chuckle as he drew her into his arms. Laying her head against his chest she smiled as she felt his arms wrap around her. Snuggling against him Hotaru had to chuckle as well at the thought, Amara had probably done it on purpose.  
  
"I'm sorry. She means well." Hotaru said with a smile.  
  
"I know. She does it because she loves you and worries about my intentions. Don't worry, eventually she'll realize that I love you just as much as she loves you." He told her placing a kiss on her hair. Turning around in his arms Hotaru gazed in to her beloved's handsome face. Raising her hand she carefully ran her fingers through his hair as she gazed up at him lovingly.  
  
"So what have you been up to lately Firefly." He asked once again calling her by his favourite nickname for her as he smiled down at he as his hands stroked her back.  
  
"Nothing much." Hotaru said with another smile. "Rini and I spent most of the day overseeing the gardens. They'll be the most beautiful they've ever been".  
  
"With you two it couldn't be anything else sweetheart." He said as he drew her forward. Leaning into the kiss she happily moved her hands down to encircle his waist. Kissing each other passionately they stood on the balcony in the moonlight as they forgot everything but the kiss and their love for each other.  
  
  
  
  
  
Coming awake with a start Hotaru gazed all around her frantically. It had been so real she thought as she fell back onto her pillow. It was like it had really happened, as though she'd really just been standing on the balcony with him, wrapped in his warm embrace. What a weird dream Hotaru thought as she closed her eyes to the images swimming in front of them. Who was he though she wondered as she remembered the feel of his lips against hers. She hadn't seen his face clearly but something told her that he was the mysterious stranger she'd met today. But where had those dreams come from she wondered as she forced her eyes to close once more. And why did she have a feeling that there was a reason she could remember her dream so vividly. As vividly as if it were a memory, not a dream. 


	3. Making Observations

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and my original characters, everything else belongs to someone else so suing me is now pointless.  
  
Making Observations  
  
Hotaru was in no rush to get to school the next morning and stood in front of the elm tree as she waited patiently for Rini to show up so that they could walk to school together a week after her near miss with the car. Tugging at her skirt absently Hotaru wished that the schools would make the skirts longer but Rini said that was just wishful thinking as the people in charge were guys and of course they weren't going to go for covering up the lovely view the skirts provided. Hotaru didn't believe a word of it but she really did wish she didn't have to wear the stupid skirt. Looking around Hotaru enjoyed the brisk breeze on her face and wished that school was over already instead of beginning in forty-five minutes. She didn't care for school at all and Rini was what made it tolerable. Not that the kids still picked on her, most had grown out of it by now but some still treated her like a freak and she hated feeling like one.  
  
"Deep in thought?" A voice said and Hotaru turned to see a boy with green hair and blue eyes standing nearby, watching her with a friendly smile on his face. He was fairly tall and Hotaru figured that her head would probably just pass his shoulder if they were to stand back to back. He was wearing jeans and a black T-shirt despite the fact that there was a slight chill in the air. His hair was drawn back from his face in a small ponytail and Hotaru thought it suited him though she'd never say so.  
  
"Just thinking." Hotaru said shyly as she smiled back at him, thinking he was a nice guy. Normally she was uncomfortable around guys but there was something about him that was comforting, almost as though she'd knew him.  
  
"A worth endeavor, uncommon for teenage girls." The man replied with a grin before walking slight closer so that there was only a meter separating them. "Of course I don't spend a lot of time with teenage girls if I can help it so what do I know anyway, right?" He added with a wink to let her know he was just fooling around.  
  
"Well I can think of several girls who would fit that description nicely." Hotaru said as she fiddled with the straps of her backpack, blushing slightly at all the attention.  
  
"I'll bet you do. Well I better be going, people to see and things to accomplish. Farewell for now, milady." The man said with a gallant bow and grin before turning on his heels and headed off down the street, whistling a tune she didn't recognize just loud enough for her to hear and make her grin. Whoever that man was he had really lightened her mood and Hotaru hoped that she ran into him again, he'd seemed like a really nice guy and he looked about the older scouts' age, maybe he was single and she could introduce him to the girls, take their mind off worrying about her.  
  
"Sorry I'm late, Hotaru. Have you been waiting long?" Rini asked as she came to a stop in front of Hotaru minutes later, panting slightly from her jog. "I thought Amara or Michelle would be with you till I got here since we aren't suppose to go alone anywhere."  
  
"Michelle dropped me off, there was a traffic jam and I thought I'd seen you on the street so I convinced Michelle to let me out down the block." Hotaru said as she pointed down the street to the next block over. "Obviously it wasn't you but Michelle had already left. I haven't been waiting long though and as you can see nothing happened to me."  
  
"Well next time I'll be on time, promise." Rini said with a fierce look, her pink pigtails practically vibrating with the determination in her voice. "Anyone wants to get to you they're gonna have to get through me first, Hotaru."  
  
"I know that Rini, now lets get to school before we're late and end up in detention." Hotaru said with a cheery smile as she motioned down the block where they're school could be found. "Plus didn't you say you wanted to talk to one of your teachers about a project that they assigned for this week? If you want to do that we'll have to hurry."  
  
"Oh yeah, we'd better hurry then, huh?" Rini said and at Hotaru's nod the two started walking quickly in the direction of their school, completely unaware that they were being watched from afar by the mysterious man Hotaru had been talking to earlier. He'd always liked Hotaru and hoped that whereever Damien was he wasn't getting into any trouble.  
  
"Dang it." Ami said as she struggled to open her car door, juggling the groceries she had in her arms without much success. It was either set all the groceries down on the pavement, risking them falling out of the bags and unlock it or risk dropping everything in a quick attempt to get the key in and turned before her groceries fell and hit pavement. She was ready to give up and set the groceries down when she felt someone tap her shoulder blade, surprising her enough that she came close to dropping the bags right there and then. Turning around Ami's eyes met chest and then looking up locked on a pair of beautiful brown eyes that twinkled back at her with good humor. "Can I help you?" Ami asked as she tightening her grip on one of her bags before it could slip from her grasp.  
  
"Actually I was going to ask you the same question, would you like some help getting your door open?" The man asked as he motioned towards the door with his thumb. "I assure you I'm not a mugger or something terrible, plus there are plenty of people around to hear you scream if I did have bad intentions, which I don't. I'd appreciate it though if you'd let me help you, my mother would turn over in her grave or come back to haunt me if I didn't help a lady so obviously in distress." He added with a hint of laughter in his voice. "So will you let me help you?"  
  
"Well for your mother's sake I suppose I must." Ami said with a laugh as she shuffled the bags just enough so that she could hand him the keys. Watching him she smiled when he simply opened the car door and then stepped aside so that she could put her groceries onto the seat. Glad to no longer have to hold them Ami made sure that they'd stay put before straightening up to thank her rescuer. "Thanks for your help, I really appreciated it."  
  
"No problem, my pleasure." The man said with a wide smile and Ami had the oddest feeling that they'd met before.  
  
"I'm sorry, this is going to sound strange but have we met before? You look very familiar somehow but I can't place where we might have met." Ami said as she closed the car door, leaning against it as she looked up at him, trying to place his face but coming up with a blank. "Do you live around here? I don't think it's from school."  
  
"Well as far as I know I've never met you, but you never know, maybe we knew each other in a past life." The man said with a wink and a chuckle, Ami having no idea how close she was. Smart girl was his Ami. "Though I'm sure I'd remember you if we had met, you don't strike me as the type someone could forget, even from a past life."  
  
"Well I don't know about that." Ami said with a slight blush though she got the feeling that he was more kidding with her then flirting. In fact it was almost like talking to Darien or Andrew, strange as that was considering she didn't know the guy from Adam. "I'm Ami by the way, Ami Mizuno. It's nice to meet you." Ami said as she held out a hand, smiling when he took it in a firm handshake.  
  
"I'm Damien Hermes." The man said with a smile as he shook her hand, his larger one nearly swallowing hers in his though his shake was gentle. "It's nice to meet you, Ami."  
  
"Funny, you don't look Greek." Ami said with a wider smile then explained when he looked at her questioningly. "In Greek mythology Hermes was the god of thieves and a messenger for the gods. He was known as Mercury in Roman mythology. I've always loved reading about other countries' cultures and stories; I've always been a fan of Egyptian and Greek in particular."  
  
"Most people don't ever make the connection." Damien said, as he shot her an admiring look, really not surprised in the least that she'd seen the meaning behind the name. Not that she knew who he was of course; they truly wouldn't meet for several more years. "I should have know that you would, you have a very intelligent look about you."  
  
"Well you obviously have his clever way with words, Damien." Ami said with a smirk, not at all use to the flirting of such a good-looking guy. "And I'd love to stand here and let you flatter me but I have to be going, I'm supposed to be meeting some friends soon and I have to get these groceries home."  
  
"Well then till we meet again fair lady." Damien said with a small bow, his brown eyes sparkling with humor. "It was nice meeting you, Ami. I hope that we meet again soon."  
  
"I'd like that." Ami said with a friendly smile as she opened her car door and slid in. "Bye."  
  
Watching her drive away Damien smiled and waved even though there was really no way she could see him waving. He probably should have stuck to just observing her but once again his instincts had kicked in and he didn't really see any harm in helping her with her groceries, that couldn't possibly affect the course of history, could it? Knowing his luck you never knew.  
  
Eli was not at all pleased as he sat in the park, watching people go past him without really seeing them, his anger blinding him. It should have been so simple, he'd pushed her, she'd gone flying and she should have ended up in pieces surrounded by twisted metal. Prince Damien had most definitely not been part of the scenario; he'd spoiled everything. Then again the other man made a habit of interfering with Eli's plans, he really needed to be broken of that habit before he wrecked something important. He knew why Damien was here of course; he should have expected Queen Serenity to send some of her loyal soldiers after him when he'd transported himself into the past. He hadn't expected her to send Damien though, that had been an unexpected and unappreciated surprise. He also doubted that the man had come alone, this was too important for it to be totally entrusted to the annoying prince. The question was who else had come along for the ride? He doubted that it would be one of the princesses, that left their husbands and children. Perhaps it was Rini's husband, since it was Princess Hotaru's life on the line in the first place. Then again Priest Helios might have opted to stay behind to protect the Queen and the others against the minions Eli had left behind. Odds were Serenity had picked someone who the scouts wouldn't recognize to blend in and alter history as little as possible. That would explain why Prince Damien had left his wife's side, especially considering the condition she'd been in after Eli had been done with her. Things were getting interesting, Damien would be a worthy opponent under normal circumstances, what kind of adversary would he be with everything he held dear on the line?  
  
"And he opened the door for you and everything? Sounds like a nice catch, Ami." Mina said with a big smile as she patted Ami in the shoulder, smiling wider when Ami flushed a bright red. "What ever would Greg say?"  
  
"It not like he asked me out or anything and if he had I would have told him about Greg and declined. He was just being a gentleman and if I see him again I'll introduce you and you're welcome to him, Mina." Ami said with a dark look. "He did seem really nice though, we must being invaded by knights in shining armor lately."  
  
"Yeah, first some guy risked his life to save Hotaru from that car accident and now another guy appears out of nowhere to help Ami with her groceries." Lita said with a bright smile as she picked up a cookie, waving it as she made her point. "We should have gone out instead of hanging out here, we're missing out on the new fish in the pond."  
  
"Well if they're is someone out there with intentions to harm Hotaru or any of you other girls knights in shining armor will come in handy most definitely." Luna said with a nod of her dark head. "We can only hope that there won't be any more situations that require one of you girls to be rescued from a bad situation."  
  
"Well lets just hope that this was a solitary incident or god only knows what Amara will do." Rei said with a smirk. "I huge out with her yesterday morning at that new gym we decided to try out and boy did she ever beat the punching bag to a pulp! I'd really hate to be the guy who pushed Hotaru if Amara ever gets a hold of him, there won't be anything left of him put a pile of mush when she gets through with the sin of a bitch. Michelle said she's been plotting all sorts of horrible tortures too."  
  
"That's Amara." Serena said with a wink as she reached for another of Lita's cookies. "So Ami, when did Greg say he'd be down for a visit? Bet you're counting the days huh?"  
  
"He should be here by the end of the week." Ami said with a fading but still there blush. "So has Trisha had any more luck figuring out who pushed Hotaru and then used some sort of magic to hide his identity? That alone makes me think that this was deliberately aimed towards a Sailor Scout, otherwise why would he have known that he needed to hide his face?"  
  
"No, Trisha's tried everything she can think of with no luck." Serena said with a small frown as she looked off into the distance. " We need to find some way to find out though, especially if we're all in danger and not just Hotaru. It's possible that he didn't know who she was, that he covered himself from someone else but I think Ami might be right, she usually is after all."  
  
"Well I'd prefer to find out in a way other then another attack occurring." Luna said with a dark look. "And if there is someone out there who means any of you girls harm they better prepare for a fight because they'll find out how difficult it is to beat the sailor scouts." 


End file.
